Woman Who Abandoned Her Eight-Year-Old Son at Hospital Defends Her Actions, Calling Him ‘Rude’

Epoch Newsroom
3/14/2016
Updated:
3/14/2016

A Utah mother who faces child abandonment charges after leaving her eight-year-old son in a hospital defended her actions in an interview. 

Kathy Sherrer, 36, of Salt Lake City, left her son in a Salt Lake City hospital in February with a note pinned to his back: “This kid is rude and ungovernable! I do not want him in my house at all!”

She was arrested and charged last week with child abandonment, a third-degree felony; and child abuse, a class A misdemeanor.

“You don’t get to arbitrarily drop children off at certain institutions,” he said.

“You reach out to that organization, that organization helps process your child, there’s an understanding. Everybody understands what everyone’s role is. Everyone knows what they’re supposed to do. But you don’t simply say, ‘I’ve had enough and I’m going to drop off this child and no one knows who I am.’”

If convicted of the crimes, Sherrer faces up to six years in prison.